It is a sad day when a child has to suffer, especially when she is supposed to be enjoying herself on one of Malaysia's most popular beaches. But that is exactly what happened to Arina Kirana Azrin, 5, when she was knocked down by a horse ridden by a man on the beach. It is very fortunate that she suffered a dislocated left shoulder and not lost her life.

Unregulated beach activities at Batu Ferringhi have led to several nasty accidents recently

The man who rode the horse? He did not bother to stop and just tried to get away from enforcement officers who were at the beach at that time. No word in news reports whether the man was apprehended but the incident highlights a very, very, very old issue about Batu Ferringhi. Water sports and beach activities have been a bone of contention between operators and authorities, with no resolution in sight. Consequently, there is still no real enforcement, even though there is supposed to be a ban on some activities, especially after a horrific accident involving a Chinese tourist in February earlier this year.

It really does seem that those involved in the tourism sector in Penang have not learnt from the past. It makes us wonder how many more innocent people have to suffer, and what exactly will it take to actually see this situation finally resolved.

Do you think that it will take a death on the beach of Batu Ferringhi to finally fix this problem? Tell us what YOU think.

Read the full article below:Gerakan has urged the DAP-led Penang government to enforce laws on sporting activities at the popular beach of Batu Ferringhi.

Local government bureau chairman Teh Leong Meng said serious attention must be given to public safety along the beach as it could affect the tourism industry.

"We have laws but they will not work if there is no strict enforcement and proper control," he said in a statement to Bernama here Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Arina Kirana Azrin, 5, dislocated her left shoulder after she was knocked down by a horse ridden by a man on the beach.

Teh said horse-riding and watersports were banned in Feb after Chinese tourist Zhu Li, 47, suffered broken legs after being hit by a flying jetski.

Penang Municipal Council had since issued guidelines to watersports operators including asking them to undergo first aid training and provide general insurance worth RM50,000.